Me&MyGirls

Filipi-LIA-na

2020-07-17T19:47:00.000+08:00

It's Racial Harmony Day Celebration at Lia's preschool and she wore our Philippine terno. She also has a 'Pandanggo sa Ilaw' ensemble for the last two photos!

Lia's 6th Birthday

2020-05-28T21:22:00.000+08:00

It's the 28th of May 2020, and we are still less than a week before the Circuit Breaker ends in Singapore. Mw&MyGirls are still cooped safely in the casa but we are all ready to celebrate Lia's 6th Birthday.

(Disclaimer: Before I proceed, let it be known that the party is just for our family and no guests were invited to come over because of social distancing and community quarantine reasons during the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Stationery shops are still closed so we did an emergency DIY decoration for her celebration with $0 spent by using stuff that we have. We used old paper lanterns, we made her name bunting from felt scraps, and wrapped all her presents with the underside of Christmas gift wrappers. We also used pink paper ribbons and scribbled on the presents with a pink marker.

We just ordered a huge Strawberry Jelly Cheese Cake online. It was delicious!

She received LOL watch and girly accessories from Mom and Dad which she happily shared with her Ate Ashrie.

And two new LOL Surprise OMG Fashion Dolls which are definitely on her wishlist, Cosmic Nova and Candylicious!

We love you Lia! Hope you enjoyed your special day!

The Peninsula Manila Staycation

2018-07-25T14:24:00.001+08:00

We went to the Philippines before the month of May ends and we're all back on the second week of June. We stayed there for two weeks, the longest vacation I had since 2006, and three years after our last visit to our home country.

We basically stayed on both of our parents' (Jane and I) houses while we were there for Ashrie and Lia's to maximize their bonding time with their grandparents, cousins and other relatives.

We also celebrated Lia's 4th Birthday with all of them and met with a few close friends.

A few days before we head home, we had a short break from the chaos of it all and chose The Peninsula Manila to be our 'home away from home". We stayed for 2 nights in one of their clubrooms and here is our review.

THE MANILA PEN is the quintessential Philippine 5-Star Hotel. From the Grand Lobby to the room interiors, we were ushered in with the Filipino hospitality that we have known and missed.

THE GRAND LOBBY. The Manila Pen lobby is one of the grandest in the country. It boasts impressive neo-classical architectural elements, humongous artworks, towering faux palms, and the iconic sunburst sculpture on the ceiling by National Artist Napoleon Abueva. If you have watched Disney's Tangled, Rapunzel would be very familiar with this emblem.

The symmetrical staircase mimics the design of the grand fountain outside along the corner of Ayala Avenue and Makati Avenue. Unfortunately, it was off during our stay.

THE CLUB LOUNGE. The lift doors open directly to the Club Reception. Check-ins and checkouts are done here as well and it serves as the pitstop for refreshment and cocktails. It is the foyer for Club Room guests wherein the staff can see everyone who goes in and out of the floor.

THE CLUB ROOM. The hotel room is modestly decorated. There is no wallpaper, the wall hangings are simple photographs of local scenes, and there are fresh tropical fruits to enjoy. We have a few favorites amenities in the room like the fresh succulents on the desk, the multi-point charger on the bedside drawer, the selection of wine glasses and water goblets in the pantry, and the luggage area which looks like a padded reading nook.

THE TOILET AND BATH. The bathroom is almost as big as the bedroom and has separate rooms for the tub, the shower, and the toilet. It is grand and luxurious with double sink, toiletries (they don't have a comb), and amenities. It is finished with marble from wall to wall and there was mood lighting in all the right places and music for entertainment.

BREAKFAST AT THE ESCOLTA. We had an awesome time at the Escolta. The ambiance was festive and you will be spoilt for choice with the selection of breakfast items! But on our second day, we opted to have our breakfast at the Club Lounge, it has fewer options but has a more peaceful, more intimate, and more exclusive feel.

THE POOL AREA. The casual mood at the pool area was made elegant with surrounding park planted with Talisai Trees (Terminalia catappa) with native capiz pendant lights hanging on its branches. Relaxing on the lounger, with the kids playing in the pool, you can almost forget that you are indeed in the middle of the central business district.

IMPORTANT NOTE: A security deposit of 5000 PHP/day is required during check-in. It will be debited to you after two weeks, the longest.

All in all, it was a splendid staycation. We're back in Singapore and looking forward to our next staycation. Actually, it's already booked. Finally, here's a "familyfie" and the photo of the two kiddos infront of Manila pen's iconic jeepney!

Ambika Playhouse (by Ashrie)

2018-07-12T13:56:00.000+08:00

During our visit to the Philippines, we went to SM Center Pulilan with our cousins, Guia and Cobie. While walking, we found Ambika Playhouse. We were all excited to go in.

We were going to play for 3 long hours! We put on our socks and went in. Tita Antot was our guardian-in-charge inside the play area.

Wow! We were really surprised to see so much stuff! I was fascinated. We quickly hopped on a carousel and enjoyed the ride. It was actually a bit slow, so Cobie and Guia started pushing it! Now everyone wants a ride!

Next, Guia and I slid down the longest slide in the playhouse. Lia and Cobie slid on the shorter one. The slide was long, but again it was kind of slow. We kept stopping. So, Guia and I had to push ourselves. The slides that Lia and Cobie took were a bit long. I think they also had to push themselves halfway through.

After a while, we played a "Police Game". Cobie and I were the police and Guia and Lia were the bad guys. It was fantastic.

All of us love to slide on the bumpy slide. It has a funny texture as you sit on it. It is made of strong metal pipes. There was also a trampoline with elastic strings on the top part. Once, I got stuck and Guia laughed at me. I guess it's very funny to her but not to me, as I do not like to get stuck.

We also played in the wobbly, jelly-like fish pond. We were fascinated by the amazing water creatures it had. So cool!

We all enjoyed the play areas that Ambika Playhouse have. We like the Pretend Play Area which has 2 toy kitchens, 1 small house, 1 puppet theater, a lot of squeaky building blocks, a television, an ironing board with a toy flat iron, a table with 2 benches with an umbrella on top, lots and lots of pretend food and lastly, a puzzle play table.

There was also a slide with a zip line! We tried our best to move the zip line. But we couldn't make it move an inch. So, we ended up just sliding the zip line slide.

It has been one of the best day outs ever and Ambika Playhouse seems like the best place ever! I had a blast playing with my cousins! I would love to go there again.

Ashrie

My 9th Birthday (by Ashrie)

2018-05-15T14:45:00.000+08:00

Last April 28, Saturday, I celebrated my 9th birthday. That afternoon, Mommy brought me to Square 2 in Novena. Dad and Lia were left at home because Lia was not feeling well. I had no idea that the Titas, Ninang Diane, Ninong Carlo and Danah were actually there too. We met them at Jollibee. It was a surprise birthday party!

They gave me gifts and I was really grateful to them. The Titas even gave me a bouquet of fresh flowers. We all ate delicious food. Afterwards, Danah helped me open my gifts. I got a book from Ninang Diane, Ninong Carlo and Danah and a small, mouse-shaped bag and a shirt from the Titas.

We went to Smiggle next, Danah and I played with the spy pen and wrote on our hands. When we were going to Toys" R" Us, we passed by a shop and saw a photo booth. Danah and I took pictures in it. When we were going out of the shop, a man gave us balloons and we carried them to Toys "R" Us. In the toy store, Ninang Diane bought a Disney Princess lollipop holder for me, a squishy for Danah and a Marble Slide toy for Lia.

Then Mommy and I took the train home. When we got home, there were more surprises! Daddy and Lia surprised me with a birthday cake and more gifts. They decorated the house with pink balloons, a banner with my name on it and some paper lanterns. It was fabulous! I opened the gifts and got a LEGO Friends Play Set and a couple of gift boxes filled with craft materials like stickers, and glittery gems.

I am really grateful to the ones who spent their money and time to prepare and buy me presents.

Ashrie

Staycation at Rendezvous Hotel Singapore

2018-02-14T18:08:00.000+08:00

It's Jane's birthday! The house is decked with balloons, garlands, and pompoms, all in yellow. But cheery as it is, we will not be staying at the casa over the weekend because we were booked at Rendezvous Hotel to celebrate her special day all the way to the weekend.

Rendezvous Hotel is located right smack in one corner of a busy city intersection so their Taxi Drop-Off and main entrance are hidden on the side street. It's quite unusual for a hotel but that is not the only quirk that this unconventional hotel has. The facade is old and rich in history but inside it is dotted with modern art, sculpture, and a burst of youthful color.

THE CLUB LOUNGE. We registered at the main lobby (Ground Floor) and then led to another registration at the Club Lounge (11th Floor) where we received our card keys.

Refreshments were served here in the afternoon. There were pastries, cookies, and salted chips. There were also coffee and tea facilities but you need to prepare and get your own. At night, club guests were served with a mini dinner buffet. Both Jane and I enjoyed their Shepherd's Pie and their fancy mocktails.

We then proceeded to the 5th floor for our hotel room. We stayed in the Junior Suite, a first for Me&MyGirls and the room did not disappoint.

THE JUNIOR SUITE. A divider panel welcomes guests when they opened the door. The room is basically divided into two areas, the Living and Bedroom, and the Toilet and Bath.

The Living and Bedroom Area has a very neutral palette with accents of metallic colors. The ceilings are high and the room is not cluttered with unnecessary design elements. The room is simple but very spacious which make it feel very luxurious.

Same is true with the Toilet and Bath which is separated into four distinct zones - the sink, the toilet, the shower, and the bathtub. It is flooded with natural light and has a panoramic view of the cityscape by the bathtub. The sink is quite small, but the laundry drawers are convenient and very accessible features.

THE STRAITS CAFE. We had our breakfast buffet at the cafe. The setting was casual and the view was the nearby street, a bus stop even. Their breakfast offering was a combination of western and local cuisine. Here, you also need to make your own coffee. I can't help but compare, as we have been to other Far East Hospitality Hotels like Quincy, Oasia Novena, and Oasia Downtown that serves you barista-quality coffees delivered right to your table.) Also, the fried noodles were cold and the omelet section was unmanned. Nevertheless, I enjoyed their Squid Balls Soup, and we had a sumptuous time before spending the rest of the day swimming and enjoying the attractions near the hotel.

THE POOL AREA. The gym is located on the third floor as well as the outdoor pool and jacuzzi area. It is open to all guests and can be viewed by the upper rooms on almost three sides. During our stay, it was a bit crowded in the afternoon, but we had the privilege to exclusively use the area around noon the next day. The building around it shades it from the harsh sunlight and provides the perfect microclimate for swimming and relaxing.

While we were in the city and in the Museum District at that, we visited the National Museum of Singapore before heading home. It was Lia's first time to be there and a first for the rest of us after so many years.

All in all, it was a very pleasant stay. The birthday girl was relaxed, for the weekend at least. Of course, as always, the little girls enjoyed the staycation more than anyone.

Happy Birthday, Jane! May God bless you even more and grant the desires of your heart. We wish you good health and a more bountiful life ahead. We love you so much!

Lia's Coloring Skills

2018-01-10T13:13:00.000+08:00

Ashrie drew sketches for Lia to color and little did we know that she can color well! What a revelation!

Lia, you never fail to surprise and delight us every time.

New Year Kick-Off Party at The Royal Plaza on Scotts

2018-01-09T13:42:00.000+08:00

We are welcoming 2018 again with our closest friends here in Singapore a weekend later. Usually, we host our annual party in each of our homes but this year we have decided to book three Club Rooms at Royal Plaza on Scotts to celebrate.

The lobby is grand with its symmetrical winding staircase to and fro the ballrooms and function halls on the second floor. Being awarded as The Best Independent Hotel for more than ten consecutive years, they boast and bask in this glory by having a wall of fame right in their lobby. However, there was limited seating for guests especially during the peak hours of breakfast, dinner, check-in and check out.

We arrived in the afternoon, checked in, inspected our rooms and shortly after, met at the Club Lounge for some refreshments.

THE CLUB ROOM. All of our rooms are located on the 14th storey. We got two rooms connected by interior doors and another room one-hotel-room-away. Our view was that of Far East Plaza along Scotts Road. Our room looks clean, compact but luxurious. It is wallpapered, the floor has wall-to-wall carpeting, a Barcelona Chair to lounge in the corner and a desk in the other. There are beveled mirrors here and there. The mini-fridge is tucked neatly and strategically under the desk and all goodies inside are free of charge. There was a Nespresso machine with six capsules (which is generous compared to other hotels) and TWG teas. Carousel, their in-house resto also provided some Veggie chips as a treat. Try them, it's good!

The bathroom has a separate glass-enclosed shower. The TV and the rest of the bedroom area may be viewed from the inside and the same may be blocked-out by drawing a curtain down near the tub. Toiletries are from Asprey London.

THE FITNESS AREA. After refreshments, the kids had their swim time. The Fitness Area Lobby was casual but impressive. There's also a gym and a lap pool. For families with young kids, note that the shallowest part of the pool is 1.5m, so have your kids' arm floaters and swim vests ready if you plan to take them for a dip. Among all the facilities of the hotel that we have been to, we think that the pool area would benefit from a refresh, a nice renovation perhaps?

THE ROYAL CLUB. Refreshments at the Club Lounge are free for guests staying in the Club Rooms up to two persons. They serve coffees, teas, and pastries for High Tea and wine, cheese and hors d’ oeuvres during the Cocktail Hours. We had our fill here before our party. Note that children are not allowed in the lounge in the evening.

THE PARTY. We have decided that this year, we'll go with a 1920s-inspired party theme. The Roaring Twenties is full of glitz and glamour so the girls had the time of their lives as they have an opportunity to go full on with their blings.

Me&MyGirls as a family went with a Midnight Blue color theme. Jane wore a rhinestone-studded dress with a pattern reminiscent of the Art Deco era. I wore a simple knitted shirt and a newsboy cap. Ashrie and Lia, on the contrary, donned their sequined dresses. Their H&M dresses almost look identical but Lia's dress is covered with a mesh to protect her from the sharp sequin's edge. Both have this "dancing" oil slick colored sequins that are very cool to look at and both wear dark blue shiny beads as a necklace for Lia and bracelet for Ate. For the headdresses, Jane wore a replica of what Daisy wore on The Great Gatsby movie, Ate had black peacock feathers on hers and Lia had white.

You know a party wouldn't be complete without decorations so even in the hotel room, we have managed to hang black and gold garlands. It gave a more festive ambiance and looks great as a photo backdrop too!

We exchange gifts and we had our Gift Exchange. Yup, you've read it right. Then we had fun games. Good thing the neighboring rooms did not bother to report us because I'm pretty sure we were noisy. As they say here in SG, "Apologies for any inconvenience caused." It was indeed a fun party, especially for the kids.

BUFFET BREAKFAST AT CAROUSEL. Club guests can have breakfast away from the rest of the hotel crowd at The Royal Club but we opted to have ours at Carousel. We were spoilt for choice. Their offerings include Western, Chinese, and Malay cuisine. And of course, the breakfast staples like omelets, yogurts, bread, and pastries, and tropical fruits. The restaurant, however, is Halal-certified so expect no bacon here, there's no turkey bacon even when we're there. We had a table for six and ended up with six bigger tummies ready for another busy day ahead.

Cons: (These were minor but worth mentioning.) All the supplies came in pairs but there's only one pair of slippers available in our closet. And the biggest bummer was when we called for a staff to fixed the locked doors to connect the two adjacent rooms, waiting time took about two hours before any help came.

All in all, the hotel staycation and the kick-off party was a success. We had a memorable event with our family away from family here in Singapore and we hope that this is just a beginning of more adventures to come both here and who knows where.

Again, Happy New Year from all of us!

New Year Activities for Kids

2018-01-03T15:21:00.001+08:00

Happy New Year everyone!

After going to church for the last Sunday of the year and visiting our friends in Yishun, we went home to prepare for welcoming the New Year. We especially set the dining table early for New Year's Eve dinner but we actually prepared just an easy dinner for the family.

After dinner and cleaning up, it's Surprise Time for the girls as Jane and I prepared some activities for them to do. First, a quick game of Pie Face. A whopping prize of $20 dollars was at stake and Lia won the game! She got the prize and when she saw that there are two bills, she immediately shared it with her Ate. They kept the prize in their savings jar.

Next activity was a Trio of Piñatas that we hang on a portable clothes rack. Inside were chocolates and candies along with glittery confetti. The girls made piñatas the day before, painted them and hang them outside to dry but unfortunately, they got wet and damaged by the rain. Jane had to make three new piñatas as a replacement.

I also tried hard to look for small sparklers but found none this year so these Party Poppers will do. The look cheesy but is packed with lots of fun.

And lastly, a Treasure Hunt. Ten clues scattered around the house that leads to a treasure chest full of goodies. We named the treasure chest Pinky Piñata, inspired by the Trio of Piñatas. It was a meticulously-wrapped box filled with Shopkins, Kinder Egg Suprise, Haribo Gummies and party noisemakers. It was a hit with the girls, and they had something for the merrymaking when midnight strikes.

We hope it's a night to remember for the girls.

We prayed before going to bed, thanking God for a very good 2017 and hopefully a bigger and better 2018. I wish the same for all of you. Again, Happy New Year!

Christmas Staycation at Oasia Downtown

2017-12-27T16:32:00.000+08:00

Me&MyGirls celebrated the Christmas holiday differently this year. Instead of staying at home we decided to have a staycation at one of the newest hotels in Singapore, Oasia Downtown. Our last hotel stay was in June during my birthday and it was at Oasia Hotel in Novena.

Oasia Downtown unlike most buildings which try to blend in with the neighboring structures chose to stand out from the rest. The hotel tower is wrapped with fire engine red structural steel cladding which also acts like a trellis support from which climbers grow. It is truly a towering landmark that can be recognized in the skyline even from afar.

The contrasting red and green colors shout "Christmas" all-year-round and the fresh, tall Christmas trees at the lobbies surely add to the festive cheer. They were decorated with paint-sprayed stars made from recycled Oasia water bottles and old newspaper origami.

We checked-in on Christmas Eve and were led to the Club Floor. The area was impressive with all the casual seating areas surrounding the lobby and the infinity pool. Christmas piano music rang in the air but the ambiance was classy rather than festive. There were a couple of staff who welcomed us and there were quite a few guests here and there. They served coconut water as refreshments.

THE CLUB ROOM. Our club room was spacious and modern. The room is equipped with the usual hotel necessities with the unique addition of a yoga mat. The floor-to-ceiling window is draped with sheer and block-out curtains but views are somewhat obstructed by the red structural steel clad of the tower which is the hotel's distinctive feature. The wooden cut-out panels and the warm tones of orange and copper creates a very cozy feel to the overall theme.

THE TOILET. The toilet and bath is actually incorporated into the rest of the room because it can be opened almost fully with three sliding glass doors. However, I believe it cannot be locked from the inside. There's a bathtub, rain shower, spacious countertop and in-house speakers. The sink which looks a bit shallow to my liking proved me wrong as the water pressure is just right not to create any splashes. The steel ledge in front of the counter can also be used as an iPad or a phone stand or to dry a small towel.

CLUB LOUNGE AND INFINITY POOL. Refreshments for Club Room guests are available at the Lounge. There are comfy seating inside the cafe and lots of stylish seats if you choose to dine or just relax al fresco. The infinity pool is centrally located where you have unobstructed views of the city but at the same time, the "city" has unobstructed views of you as this area can be viewed from nearby guest rooms and the adjacent condominium as well.

ROOFTOP POOL AND TERRACE. For a more casual feel and in keeping with the industrial style brought about by all the steel columns, guests can opt for the rooftop pool, there are two identical pools and a restaurant in the middle. We tried the pool on Christmas morning and needless to say, the water was freezing! But the girls had short but awesome time there surrounded by lush greenery and blocked from the sun.

My favorite aspect of the stay was the fact that because the hotel opened just over a year ago, most of the facilities are still new, the public and private spaces were generous and the place was not very crowded even during the holidays. However, note that the hotel is not kid-friendly as one staff highlighted. Kid swimmers can use the rooftop pool, but also, the only water space for toddlers to play is where the sun loungers and the steel columns are. The rest of the water depth is 1.2 meters. (Good thing we brought arm floaters for the girls.) The Club Lounge is also surrounded and spotted with feature pools at the same level as the floor without any barricades so young kids must be supervised at all times.

Overall, it was a splendid Christmas holiday. We enjoyed our stay, the food, and the time spent with each other. And at this point, we would like to greet everyone a very Merry Christmas! Until our next family staycation and hotel review!

The Polliwogs at Vivo City

2017-12-23T11:33:00.001+08:00

The kiddos were back to The Polliwogs last week and they had a blast! The last time they're there was when Lia was just 11 months. Now she is 3 years old. I accompanied both of them indoors and it was indeed a good workout for them and myself. Jane who is still recovering from her surgery stayed in the cafeteria while waiting for us.

The playroom height is very suitable for young kids but adults (most of which are either parents or nannies) need to stoop or crawl to pass through the obstacle courses. There is a space for toddlers, a climbing wall, a rather steep slide, ball swim, and many more. They even have a space for parties and a cafeteria. There are play areas for children of different ages. Some are really challenging and would require more agility and strength to enjoy as designed.

One thing I have noticed is the fact that although a few years have gone by since our last visit, nothing has changed and the place (of course with the kids tearing the place down every minute of its opening hours) will definitely be under extreme physical wear and tear. The place is crying for maintenance and most features especially the faux leather covering of the courses need to be restitched or replaced. Overall, the playground would benefit with a makeover. I believe the kids don't mind the interiors but a paying parent would appreciate value for money and quality of materials.

It's $25/child for 2 hours on a weekday and you need to buy socks to enter (even at the cafeteria) if you forgot to bring, or not wearing a pair. If you want to know more, you can visit The Polliwog's website here.

Family Staycation at Oasia Hotel

2017-07-10T17:18:00.001+08:00

We had an awesome experience the last time we had a staycation at a boutique hotel. So now, for my birthday, we chose to stay in another of Far East Hospitality’s hotels. This time, it’s Oasia Hotel in Novena.

Jane booked a Club Room. It has a bath tub (which the kids love and one of our main criteria in choosing a hotel room) and Club Lounge privileges. We stayed on the 23rd floor which is just a storey above The Living Room (the Club Lounge). We were there on a weekday, Thursday to be exact.

Although it’s a birthday staycation, it’s actually more of a surprise for the kids. They knew about it just that morning. We packed early, had brunch and prepared for our trip. We had 2 pieces of luggage, one medium-sized for all of our things and a Trunki for Lia’s soft toys and Ate’s books.

We arrived just in time for the 2 pm check-in and was immediately led to our room. Let me take you on a little tour.

THE LOCATION. Situated in the heart of the city, Oasia is easily accessible from Novena MRT, and even connected to Novena Square by a link bridge. And being adjacent to the shopping malls means being near to restaurants, and basically, everything you need.

THE LOBBY. The main lobby was simple but the wood cladding and natural stone face for the lift lobby are both very impressive. The lifts were fast, silent and steady.

THE ROOM. The hotel room is small but packed with everything one will need and more. Light-colored wood panels cover most of the walls and above is a drop ceiling along the perimeter of the room. The floor is not carpeted but there is an area rug around the bed. The window has a full panoramic view of the cityscape and can be covered with either sheer blinds and/or blackout shades for privacy and glare control and each may be operated via switches near the bed. The only artwork is a mosaic of upcycled, probably old or “made-to-look-old” wooden cornices and wood scraps. There is a built-in desk, and a rickety swivel chair (that needs replacement, by the way.) The wall sconce for the desk light may look cool when new but at this point needs an update as well.

And as a birthday celebrant, I was presented with a complimentary cake. It was delicious!

There was also a Nespresso machine, complimentary TWG tea bags, Perrier bottles, mineral water, and even coconut water. So the drinks were fairly covered.

THE TOILET. Covering almost a third of the room's floor space, the toilet and bath is masculine and modern. Granite tiles clad the area wall to wall, and the floors have the same surface treatment. There is a tub and a separate rain shower. The toilet seat is sadly cramped in a corner and usually blocked by the swing door. A sliding door would be a better option, to say the least. The bed can be viewed from the shower and vice versa while a roller blind may be manually drawn for privacy. The vanity is huge with adequate counter space. A speaker on the ceiling is also provided for music or if you don't want to miss the audio of what you're watching (or in my case, what my kids are watching) on TV.

THE LOUNGE. "The Living Room" as they call it is located on the 22nd floor. The lift lobby is more beautiful than the rest of the lobbies for obvious reasons. It is where cocktails and refreshments are served for patrons occupying the Club Rooms and Suites. It is decorated casually with drinking glass chandeliers, wood flooring, exposed beams, and glass shelves as dividers.

Further onward is the swimming pool area. We were fortunate that when we visited, there are no other visitors using the area so we enjoyed the pool all by ourselves. What a delightful bonus treat indeed!

The downside, however, is that the place has only one exit, and one has to go through the lounge before you can reach the lift lobby to your room so we made sure we had fresh and dry clothes before we came there and definitely before we exit.

By the way, there is also a swimming pool area and gym on the 8th floor and a cafeteria near the main lobby.

THE SERVICE. Whatever little details the hotel failed to notice was overshadowed by the hospitality shown to us by The Living Room staff. A special shoutout to Ms. Letitia for her excellent service for going beyond the call of duty to make us feel important and welcomed. Even the cleaners were courteous and well-mannered.

Overall, we had a great time at Oasia Hotel Novena. It can be a place for families to stay, unwind, and enjoy the what the hotel and the city have to offer.

My ?0th Birthday

2017-06-29T18:09:00.001+08:00

I turned 40 last week and to celebrate my four decades of life on earth, and while Ate is still on a school break, I took a two-and-a-half-day leave from work which when added to the weekend and a holiday became a 5-day break. Not bad eh!

When I came home from work before my leave, the eve of my birthday, MyGirls surprised me (again) with a "sweets and treats buffet".

There was a multi-flavored cheesecake. It's when you can't decide on a flavor so you take one slice of every flavor. It was awesome! There were also chips, cupcakes, Ferrero Rocher chocolates, and Root Beer! Thank you girls. :)

Ashrie and Lia made birthday cards. Ate gave me a Teddy Bear Snow Globe and Jane gave me a new mailbag.

We also attended an after church Pinoy gathering. It was a Boodle Fight! The dining table was amazing, take a look!

And we actually did a staycation in one of the boutique hotels in the city (my hotel review will be in a separate post).

So, that's it for now. Until the next one!

Father's Day 2017

2017-06-19T11:25:00.001+08:00

Happy Father's Day to me and to all awesome dads!

MyGirls surprised me last Saturday afternoon (after work) with an early Father's Day greeting. They say Sunday mornings will be very busy because we will be preparing for church. And that's so true, so I really appreciate the gesture that they did to kinda slip this greeting into our busy schedule.

Thank you my dearest girls. I love you very much!

Sunday was church time in the morning. Evangel gave each dad present a jar of Janice Wong's cookies and the kids made a Father's Day craft. We had quick lunch at McDonald's Causeway Point. We bought Ate new pairs of shoes and a new Peppa Pig scooter for Lia.

When we reached home, it was cleaning day. And of all days, I thoroughly clean the vacuum cleaner! It was a day well spent, to say the least, because hen I have a productive day, I am happy and contented.

To all dads, a Happy Father's day from Me&MyGirls.

Carton Playhouse DIY

2017-06-12T16:44:00.005+08:00

Kids love the latest toys (and they can be a source of most of the clutter at home. It creeps from the Kid's Rooms to every inch of your floor space if not contained well. They can even be very expensive. They say the best toys are free. And it's really true as we all know from experience.

Here's a very easy DIY (blogged by Ashrie), completely free and I'm sure your kids will surely enjoy playing.

We had a big, old carton box that Mom creatively turned into a playhouse. Mom did all the cutting and designing while Lia and I did the decorating. Just take a look at how it turned out!

If you want to make a house like this, you will need:

A big-sized carton box

Markers (optional)

Plate (if you want circle windows)

Cutter or scissors

A pencil

A long ruler

A smaller box (optional, for the chimney)

Lia and I really like our playhouse. Especially when we get to draw inside. We drew many things inside our house like pretend food, jewelry, clothes, some scribbles and even ourselves!

Ashrie

Lia Turns Three!

2017-05-31T09:44:00.003+08:00

We celebrated Lia's birthday a day in advance because her birthday fell on a Sunday. We hosted a simple dinner for a bunch of friends and decked the halls with decorations. I took a leave from the office that day to provide a little help in the kitchen.

We set the entire living room as the entertainment area and the old dining room as the play area. We set a buffet table with sumptuous dishes from Jane's Kitchen (that's basically our kitchen with Jane as the chef, cook, and everything else). Here's the spread.

Special Balisungsong Rice. Fragrant rice that is lightly seasoned and wrapped in banana leaves. It is then cooked for a minimum of 2 hours.

Menudo. A pork stew with bell peppers, peas, carrots, potatoes, and raisins in a rich tomato-based sauce.

Kare-Kare. Jane's version is a thick, peanut-based gravy, topped with crispy pork belly, eggplant, pechay, and string beans---all perfectly paired with bagoong.

Veggies in Cream Sauce. Sautéed carrots, corn, peas, and jicamas with prawns and quail eggs.

Dessert was Leche Flan topped either with macapuno or kaong (palm nut). And for refreshments we served Arizona Sunset cocktails.

The birthday girl wore a white blouse and green shorts but refused to wear her silver sandals. Her mood was really down once she tried the new pair on, so when her mom changed it to her pick, which was her pink rabbit shoes, she was thrilled.

She requested specifically for this Strawberry Cheese Cake. We just added the colorful flower topper for it to look more festive. It looks good and tastes really nice! Even our guests approved!

She really had a blast playing with her Ate and the two other little girls, Danah and Ayah. She fell asleep after her milk time but woke up after a few minutes and played with them again.

The ladies chatted through the night over good food, a good cup of coffees (or tea) and sweets. And played the 5-Second Rule Game to spice things up.

It was indeed a lovely (and noisy) and laughter-filled evening.

Happy Birthday to our little darling Lia! You are bringing so much joy to our lives every day. May you grow healthy, strong, wise and blessed. We love you dearly.

Egg Carton Flowers

2017-05-16T17:48:00.002+08:00

A few Sundays ago, 23 April 2017 Lia and I decided to make another craft from Mother Goose Club. We made Egg Carton Flowers!

This craft was very easy to make and you'll only be needing an egg carton tray, assorted paints, and sticks. Here are the instructions:

1) Paint the egg carton tray with whatever color you want.

2) Paint the back of the egg carton tray too.

3) Leave the paint to dry.

4) When the paint is dry, cut out the egg carton pods into flower petal shapes.

5) Get some barbecue sticks and poke it into the egg carton pod to make a stem. Be careful and ask help from your parents because the stick has a pointed end.

There you have it, beautiful egg carton flowers! Perfect for pictures and it makes a beautiful bouquet! Try it out! It's fun to make and it never dies!

~Ashrie

Ashrie's 8th Birthday Party

2017-04-29T11:57:00.000+08:00

I was very excited about my party. My birthday was yesterday, Friday, but everybody was at work. So we had it on a Saturday.

Daddy put the decorations up and Mommy worked hard preparing the food. Now I realised how hard they worked for my party. Lia and I got dressed and waited for the guests to arrive. Then some of the guests arrived, first it was Ninang Diane, Ninong Carlo, Ate April and Danah. Danah was a bit shy so we played Lia's LEGO Duplo. Then the rest of the guests arrived - Tita Luisa, Tita Grace and Tita Meanne. They joined us in playing LEGO Duplo. After playing, we sat down to eat. Mommy served Spaghetti, Palabok, Spring Rolls and Macaroni Salad.

After dinner, we all played Pie Face. The children used a heart-shaped sponge and the adults used whipped cream. The children laughed when the adults got Pie-Faced. The winner was Ate April. Mommy gave her a prize.

After we were finished playing, Daddy brought out my cake. Everybody sang the Happy Birthday song to me. While I was making a wish, Lia was already blowing the candle!

Soon, it was the end of my birthday party. Before the guests left, I gave them my thank-you-for-coming cards.

Then, I opened my birthday presents. The present from Ninang Diane was a book entitled Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book. It was a nice book. It had sixty-seven chapters. The next present was from the Titas - LEGO Friends. And of course, my Mom and Dad gave me LEGO Friends Emma's House and a smaller LEGO Friends set. I love it!

Thank you Dad and Mom, and to all the guests who came. You made my birthday very, very special.

Ashrie

Homemade Play Dough

2017-04-26T11:08:00.001+08:00

Last Saturday, 22 April 2017 Lia and I made our very own play dough. Mommy prepared the ingredients for us. Daddy took pictures.

These are the ingredients:
1 cup of flour
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of salt
2 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
Food coloring (10 drops or more)

The play dough was so much fun to make. We used blue food coloring. Lia and I took turns in mixing the dough. After we mixed it, the dough mixture does not look like play dough at all because it is not yet cooked. Mommy cooked the dough for us. She lets us see what was happening in the pot.

After the play dough was cooked Mommy kneads it. It was very hot. When it was warm and safe to touch, Mommy let us try kneading the dough. Then we put some glitter in the play dough. Then the fun part, playing with the finished product!

We learned how to make play dough from Mother Goose Club: Show Me How. We watched many of their craft videos. They were so much fun to make, so we made two of their crafts. One is homemade play dough the other one is egg carton flowers which will be our next blog post.

Ashrie

Thank you Ashrie for the article. Here's Daddy's verdict on your Homemade Play Dough:

I personally think that MyGirls did very well. I have checked the play dough's consistency and it felt smooth and very pliable, the glitters did not stick to the hands or the work surface, and it smells even better than store-bought PLAYDOH! Plus, you can have more dough to play with at a given time.

The only factor that PLAYDOH has over this homemade version is for sure, having longer shelf life.

Until next time! Happy Midweek!

Ashrie and Lia’s Paintings

2017-04-20T15:44:00.001+08:00

Ashrie is now on her Primary 2 and is doing more writing compositions for her English class in school. Both Jane and I were impressed by her articles and stories so I asked her to be a contributor to this blog. Here is her debut article written just this morning about their painting session at home yesterday. Read on.

Yesterday, 19 April 2017, Lia and I did a painting. Lia’s painting was a card and my painting was a cake picture. I used paints, a pencil, a paintbrush and a bottom of a Peck Chye. Lia used a bottom of a Peck Chye, paints and a paintbrush.

I started by drawing a picture. It was a birthday cake. Lia started by dipping the Peck Chye in the paint and stamping it onto her card. When I started painting my birthday cake, I saw Lia had mixed the colors because she put too many colors in the same place! Silly Lia! My cake was yellow but because my paper was pink, it turned orange! I did not know that yellow and pink make orange. I thought red and yellow make orange.

I saw that Lia mixed the colors so much that it was starting to turn black! I said, "Wow!"

Mommy was taking a video of Lia. She asked Lia some questions but Lia was focusing on her card and she did not reply. As for finishing touches, Lia was doing the back of her card I was doing the fireworks and the heart-shaped balloons. Lia and I were done.

Then we cleaned ourselves and let our paintings dry. Lia’s card was for Daddy. My picture was for Daddy as well! We both had a wonderful time painting together. We hope to do this again.

Thank you Ashrie! I guess there will be more entries from you in the coming days.

Lia and The Tale of Mr. Rabbit

2017-03-16T16:42:00.004+08:00

Lia loves her rabbits. Soft toy rabbits, that is.

Once she has Mr. Frog (IKEA Tosig) and he's been with her wherever she goes. We went for a stroll one time and she lost him, so when they went for a month-long vacation to the Philippines she had to settle with Mr. Rabbit's (IKEA Piphare) company. I looked for a replacement for Mr. Frog and brought it to the Philippines. But at the time, her fondness of Mr. Frog was now transferred over to Mr. Rabbit. When we're back in Singapore it was and always is Mr. Rabbit for her.

Almost all of her photos are with Mr. Rabbit. Even her Ate's Show and Tell in school was about Lia and Mr. Rabbit. It was her soother when she woke in the middle of the night. Just give it to her and most of the time, she will go back to sleep instantly after seeing him. He was her constant companion everywhere she goes.

Before last Christmas, we went to Ang Mo Kio to meet our friend. It was the family with Mr. Rabbit, of course. Before me head home we stopped by AMK Hub FairPrice to buy some groceries and when we're done and about to head home, Mr. Rabbit is missing!

It was almost closing time but we still had the time to go back and trace our steps. We asked the Information Counter if somebody might have surrendered it, but none. We searched every section we've been to but to no avail. We went home that night, sadly and without Mr. Rabbit.

We searched high and low for a replacement and even contacted IKEA if they have a piece left as it was already a discontinued item). There wasn't any. The only Carouseller who sells a Piphare already sold it. There was a display in a restaurant in Sembawang Shopping Center that has it but they never gave us a call back when they say they will ask the owner if he wants to sell it. Our search was futile.

Meanwhile, Jane bought a pink Jelly Cat Rabbit in lieu, and I printed a Piphare for Lia. Jane is also planning to make a printed pillow of Mr. Rabbit in case we couldn't find a replacement.

Fortunately, there were sellers on eBay. We purchased one and got it more than a month later. Our generous seller even bought from another seller because the first one traveled around the world but never reached our mailbox because of address issues. But the second one reached us in a few days after everything has been rectified.

We're so happy Mr. Rabbit is back! Needless to say, He is still Lia's favorite until now.

Me&MyGirls at the Singapore Zoo

2017-02-03T09:27:00.000+08:00

We stayed in Singapore this year for the 2017 Chinese New Year holidays. It was a four-day for me and a five-day break for Ashrie.

We spent the first day spring cleaning, the second at Singapore Zoo, the third in a friend's birthday dinner and the fourth at IKEA. We basically took mostly Uber, Taxis and Grab which ultimately reduced our traveling time and at the same time our stress in public commuting with the kids had we opted to take buses and trains.

Singapore Zoo was packed to the brim. It was the first day of CNY and a Saturday when we visited. We reached the gates around 11, Having our online tickets printed as we reached, we were inside the zoo right after Lia watched the Lion Dance and had this photo taken.

It was Lia's first visit to the SG Zoo and quite a number of visits for the rest of us. There were a lot of improvements in the zoo premises and actually, as soon as you enter the Mandai area, you can see the developments to look forward to as early as 2020. (I think Jurong Bird Park will be transferred in the area plus there will be a new attraction, the Rainforest Park, so all parks can be accessible to each other and possibly be visited by tourists in a day. Tiring to think about it but awesome idea.)

We did not managed to view all of the animals because we saved precious time for water play. We can always visit next time for Lia to see the other animal enclosures.

At this age, she quickly loses interest in the animals. She enjoyed the fragile forest though, where we are literally face to face with a lemur, the bats, and a sloth! And of course, she had a great time at the play area, on their carousel rides, the rabbits, and the water play.

We definitely have to visit again but hopefully on a day with less crowd. :)

If Lia Will Fill-Up a Slum Book Right Now

2017-01-26T15:58:00.001+08:00

You might not know what a Slum book (Slam book) is and still have to google it. But if you are my "genmates", you probably had or at least filled-up one.

Lia is now at the height of being a terrible two, and she's terrific in being one. She's really outspoken and very good in reasoning. She still tries to squeeze her way out our steel gate and sometimes still succeed. She's now potty-trained but we still use diapers when going out. She loves opening presents, packages, and even mails. She enjoys opening Kinder Surprise Eggs (which I believe is illegal in the US). She only likes the toy part so there are a lot of the chocolate half in our fridge. She enjoys "token" rides in the mall and of course toy store visits.

Back with to slum book thing, here is what her entry would look like:

Name: Lia

Age: Two

Favorite Color: Pink ("I yav pink!")

Favorite Food: Noodles, Cheese, Bread, Dried Mango

Favorite Toy: "Mr. Raddit" (Rabbit)

Favorite Cartoon Character: Dibbo, Peppa, Octonauts, Shopkins

Hobbies: Messing the house, Watching Food Videos in Instagram, Watching Dibbo on iPad, More messing in the house

Ambition: To be a Doctor

With the dawn of social media, especially Facebook, slum books are now history. It's all part of our past, that time when we need to ask information about our friends, or even loved ones to know more about them, what they enjoy doing, what they value, and what their dreams are.

There is nostalgia in bringing up all these things as well as reading old blog entries and viewing old pictures. And that would never go out of style.

Tonsillectomy Update

2017-01-16T09:57:00.002+08:00

Months after Ashrie's tonsillectomy, I reckon it was after two weeks that she went back to school. But only after her clearance from her doctor (the check-up one month after her operation) was she given a go signal to participate in her PE classes.

She's now in Primary 2. It's (a bit) easier to wake her up in the morning. She sleeps quietly and is doing very well both in health and in school. She is less sickly and when she has a cough, cold and fever, it is less of a struggle for her and recovery is much faster.

I'm so glad we've decided to let her undergo this surgery.

Mom and Daughter Duet

2016-12-12T14:02:00.000+08:00

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is one Christmas song that probably would be remembered in the family for years to come.

Yesterday, Jane and Ashrie sang this song as a duet to the delight of the audience who attended the Pinoy Connection Christmas Party at Evangel Family Church. It was the song the organizers requested them to sing but they were free to pick the version or their own "minus one". They chose an upbeat piano version and the song lasted only more than a couple of minutes.

After the event we had our family photo taken by friends who came to watch them sing. (On the left: Me&MyGirls at the church lobby. The pine tree smells so fresh. It's a joy to see a tall Christmas tree right there on that same spot year after year. And yes, Evangel is undergoing a revamp of their main lobby as you can see far beyond; On the right: Ate Ashrie smiling ever so daintily so as not to show her new two front teeth.)